Last year, CIRP posted a study revealing that most people buy their iPhones on carriers, while Apple Stores account for 1/4 of all purchases. Now, a new study wanted to discover how these numbers would compare with iPad and Mac sales.
According to CIRP (via 9to5Mac), retail stores are “the mother-ship for Apple purchases” when adding Apple tablets and computers; 29% of consumers buy iPads at Apple Stores, followed by 16% at Best Buy and 14% with carriers. Purchasing an iPad with a carrier makes sense since people can add an eSIM to cellular iPads.
Regarding the Mac, 39% of the sales are made at Apple Stores, followed by 26% at Best Buy. It’s important to note that people don’t buy Macs with carriers.
For the iPhone, CIRP numbers show 67% of consumers opt to buy their iPhones with carriers, as the company offers better deals and high trade-in options. Only 24% of consumers opt to buy a new iPhone at an Apple Store.
“Apple is an amazing manufacturer, and they have built an amazing retail business, but that does not make them independent of their retail partners. Apple not only needs the mobile carriers to provide phone service, they need them to sell iPhones. Apple needs Best Buy to sell Macs and iPads, and dare we say, Apple needs Amazon to sell iPads.”
Another perception you can have with these numbers is that besides Mac sales, 70% of consumers opt to buy iPhones and iPads outside of Apple Stores. The reason, once again, is better deals and improved trade-in options.
Ultimately, buying at Apple makes sense if you want to customize your device with an engrave or want a specific color that carriers or stores, sometimes, won’t have.
The full study is behind a paywall, but subscribers can check it out here.
